He may be a seasoned pro when it comes to motor racing, but one Burnley petrol head admits he had to pinch himself when he claimed victory at Silverstone this weekend.

On Saturday, Michael Whitaker, 52, won the Hulme Class of the FIA Masters Historic at the Silverstone Classic, the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival.

This year’s event saw more than 100,000 motorsport enthusiasts descend on the home of British racing, with more than 10,000 cars on display across the weekend, as well as fairground rides and attractions on offer to thrill the whole family.

And for Whitaker, who was driving a Lola T70 MK2 Spyder, the experience of crossing the line at Silverstone gave him a buzz like no other.

“I’m really pleased after winning,” he said. “It’s my first time out in the car because we’ve been getting it ready for some other races.

“We had a few challenges, I bent the car in qualifying so I didn’t get to do that many laps, but thankfully everything worked out well in the race and we pulled ourselves up to first place in the class and held it to the end.

“Racing at the Silverstone Classic is wonderful. The historic grand prix circuit is one of the best circuits I’ve ever raced on in Britain and Europe, and in big GT cars it really allows you to pull 150/160 miles per hour.

“There are a lot of really flowing corners so it is a lot of fun as a driver, even driving around on your own.

“I think the Silverstone Classic is a really good event for all the family and friends as well. There is so much to do, there are car shows and activities in both pits, so it’s a really good day out with a lot of people bringing their children along.

“I normally race about eight times a year, and we normally pick the major events at the major circuits like the Silverstone Classic.”

Whitaker, who works in a bank, insists he has enjoyed a positive season thus far in a variety of different cars.

And while he admits competing at Silverstone is the pinnacle of the racing year for him, he loves nothing more than experiencing the thrill motorsport brings.

“We’re doing quite well, we’ve won about three quarters of the races we have entered this year, although this was always going to be the major challenge because it always is,” he said.

“It brings the biggest, toughest field including top professionals, people who could have made it to Formula One if they’d had the break. It’s a real test for drivers to come here and win.

“Racing means a lot to me. It’s outside of my work and my family, it’s the other thing that I’m interested in.

“I’ve got a few cars, both road and racing cars. When you’re out there, you have to concentrate on nothing but racing, so it clears your mind of everything else in life.”

Silverstone Classic is the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival and provides flat out family fun. The weekend event features over 1,000 race entries and 10,000 classic cars on display, drawing in 100,000 classic motorsport enthusiasts and their families. Visit www.facebook.com/silverstoneclassic or @SilverClassic for more information.